U.S. organic dairy politics : animals, pasture, people, and agribusiness /
"Since 1950, production of U.S. dairy cows has risen 250 percent, while the longevity of cows has plunged alongside the number of family farms. Additionally, farmers have had to respond to lower farm gate prices and commercial pressures by intensifying production with agribusiness technologies,...
Saved in:
Main Authors: | |
---|---|
Published: |
Palgrave Macmillan,
|
Publisher Address: | New York, NY : |
Publication Dates: | 2014. |
Literature type: | Book |
Language: | English |
Edition: | First edition. |
Subjects: | |
Summary: |
"Since 1950, production of U.S. dairy cows has risen 250 percent, while the longevity of cows has plunged alongside the number of family farms. Additionally, farmers have had to respond to lower farm gate prices and commercial pressures by intensifying production with agribusiness technologies, including genetically modified hormones and antibiotics to fight disease and illnesses brought on by dairy cow confinement. This book examines the current resistance to corporate agribusiness being waged by organic dairy farmers, cooperatives, and consumer activists{u2014}commonly referred to as the 'Pasture War, ' which resulted in strengthened USDA National Organic Program policies. Recent power shifts in the USDA, weak labeling laws, and dairy advertisement which blurs boundaries between conventional and organic food demonstrate the need for farmers to cut out the middlemen in dairy chains from cows to consumers." --Provided by publisher. |
Carrier Form: | xx, 291 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-268) and index. |
ISBN: |
9781137330604 1137330600 |
Index Number: | SF246 |
CLC: | F371.263 |
Call Number: | F371.263/S368 |
Contents: | Introduction : what is organic dairying? -- Agricultural revolutions : winter was bleak before haymaking -- USDA organic pasture war : where have all the cow herds gone? -- Animal welfare : from Rudolf Steiner to the St. Paul declaration -- Stewardship in the Northwest : Dutch stewards, vets and researchers discuss U.S., Canadian & European rules -- Antibiotics & health in the Northeast & beyond : experts on U.S., Canadian & European rules -- Family farms and megadairies : effects on cows, land & society -- Conclusions & outlook : agribusiness, cooperatives and power to 2050. |